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Li, Malixi Named All-ACC; Malixi Tabbed ACC Freshman of the Year
5/8/2026 3:00:00 PM | Women's Golf
DURHAM, N.C. – The Duke women's golf tandem of Katie Li and Rianne Malixi received All-ACC recognition Friday and Malixi was tabbed ACC Freshman of the Year following a vote of the league's head coaches.
Li earned All-ACC honors for the second time in her collegiate career, while Malixi earned honors for the first time. Malixi is the 17th Blue Devil to receive ACC Freshman of the Year accolades and the first since 2015.
A native of Basking Ridge, New Jersey, Li has compiled a career-best 71.74 stroke average on the season with three top-10 and five top-20 finishes. Her 13 rounds of even or under par rank tied for first on the Duke squad. She also added five rounds in the 60s. Li garnered top-11 finishes at the ACC Championship (T11th), Charles Schwab Invitational (8th), Sea Best Intercollegiate (4th) and Windy City Collegiate (T6th).
Over the past two events, Li has collected a 70.67 stroke average with eighth-place and 11th-place finishes. She has notched seven straight rounds of even or under par dating back to the last three tournaments. Li is currently ranked No. 45 nationally in the Scoreboard Powered by clippd rankings.
Malixi, a product of Manila, Philippines, has turned in one of the best spring seasons in Duke women's golf history, shooting 31-under-par for a 68.67 stroke average. Eight of her 12 rounds in the spring have been even or under par scores. Currently ranked No. 7 nationally, Malixi is the highest ranked rookie in NCAA Division I women's golf.
She collected her first collegiate victory to open the spring season by totaling rounds of 71, 66 and 63 to shoot 16-under-par at the Sea Best Intercollegiate. Malixi has also placed second at the ACC Championship, third at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate and tied for third at the Charles Schwab Women's Collegiate Invitational. She recently collected a school-record 45-hole stretch of bogey-free golf at the ACC Championship.
Other Duke ACC Freshman of the Year selections include Jenny Chuasiriporn (1995-96), Kalen Anderson (1997-98), Beth Bauer (1998-99), Maria Garcia-Estrada (1999-2000), Virada Nirapathpongporn (2000-01), Niloufar Aazam-Zanganeh (2001-02), Liz Janangelo (2002-03), Brittany Lang (2003-04), Jennifer Pandolfi (2004-05), Amanda Blumenherst (2005-06), Alison Whitaker (2006-07), Lindy Duncan (2009-10), Laetitia Beck (2010-11), Celine Boutier (2012-13), Yu Liu (2013-14) and Leona Maguire (2014-15).
Duke is set to kick off action in the Ann Arbor Regional May 11-13 at the University of Michigan Golf Course in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils women's golf, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWGOLF".
#GoDuke
2026 ACC Women's Golf Player of the Year
Paula Martín Sampedro, Jr., Stanford
2026 ACC Women's Golf Freshman of the Year
Rianne Malixi, Duke
2026 ACC Women's Golf Coach of the Year
Anne Walker, Stanford
2026 Women's Golf All-ACC Team
Katie Li, Jr., Duke
Rianne Malixi, Fr., Duke
Sophia Fullbrook, So., Florida State
Megan Streicher, Sr., North Carolina
Marie Madsen, So., NC State
Mackenzie Lee, Sr., SMU
Emily Odwin, Sr., SMU
Megha Ganne, Sr., Stanford
Paula Martín Sampedro, Jr., Stanford
Meja Örtengren, So., Stanford
Andrea Revuellta, So., Stanford
Kelly Xu, Sr., Stanford
Jaclyn LaHa, Jr., Virginia
Chloe Kovelesky, So., Wake Forest
Macy Pate, Jr., Wake Forest
Li earned All-ACC honors for the second time in her collegiate career, while Malixi earned honors for the first time. Malixi is the 17th Blue Devil to receive ACC Freshman of the Year accolades and the first since 2015.
A native of Basking Ridge, New Jersey, Li has compiled a career-best 71.74 stroke average on the season with three top-10 and five top-20 finishes. Her 13 rounds of even or under par rank tied for first on the Duke squad. She also added five rounds in the 60s. Li garnered top-11 finishes at the ACC Championship (T11th), Charles Schwab Invitational (8th), Sea Best Intercollegiate (4th) and Windy City Collegiate (T6th).
Over the past two events, Li has collected a 70.67 stroke average with eighth-place and 11th-place finishes. She has notched seven straight rounds of even or under par dating back to the last three tournaments. Li is currently ranked No. 45 nationally in the Scoreboard Powered by clippd rankings.
Malixi, a product of Manila, Philippines, has turned in one of the best spring seasons in Duke women's golf history, shooting 31-under-par for a 68.67 stroke average. Eight of her 12 rounds in the spring have been even or under par scores. Currently ranked No. 7 nationally, Malixi is the highest ranked rookie in NCAA Division I women's golf.
She collected her first collegiate victory to open the spring season by totaling rounds of 71, 66 and 63 to shoot 16-under-par at the Sea Best Intercollegiate. Malixi has also placed second at the ACC Championship, third at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate and tied for third at the Charles Schwab Women's Collegiate Invitational. She recently collected a school-record 45-hole stretch of bogey-free golf at the ACC Championship.
Other Duke ACC Freshman of the Year selections include Jenny Chuasiriporn (1995-96), Kalen Anderson (1997-98), Beth Bauer (1998-99), Maria Garcia-Estrada (1999-2000), Virada Nirapathpongporn (2000-01), Niloufar Aazam-Zanganeh (2001-02), Liz Janangelo (2002-03), Brittany Lang (2003-04), Jennifer Pandolfi (2004-05), Amanda Blumenherst (2005-06), Alison Whitaker (2006-07), Lindy Duncan (2009-10), Laetitia Beck (2010-11), Celine Boutier (2012-13), Yu Liu (2013-14) and Leona Maguire (2014-15).
Duke is set to kick off action in the Ann Arbor Regional May 11-13 at the University of Michigan Golf Course in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils women's golf, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWGOLF".
#GoDuke
2026 ACC Women's Golf Player of the Year
Paula Martín Sampedro, Jr., Stanford
2026 ACC Women's Golf Freshman of the Year
Rianne Malixi, Duke
2026 ACC Women's Golf Coach of the Year
Anne Walker, Stanford
2026 Women's Golf All-ACC Team
Katie Li, Jr., Duke
Rianne Malixi, Fr., Duke
Sophia Fullbrook, So., Florida State
Megan Streicher, Sr., North Carolina
Marie Madsen, So., NC State
Mackenzie Lee, Sr., SMU
Emily Odwin, Sr., SMU
Megha Ganne, Sr., Stanford
Paula Martín Sampedro, Jr., Stanford
Meja Örtengren, So., Stanford
Andrea Revuellta, So., Stanford
Kelly Xu, Sr., Stanford
Jaclyn LaHa, Jr., Virginia
Chloe Kovelesky, So., Wake Forest
Macy Pate, Jr., Wake Forest
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